To the problem on the mechanism of calcium poisonous action on powder cadmium electrode

The causes of calcium poisoning of Cd electrodes in alkali solution were investigated. The electrodes were made of CdO to which Cd was added, and KOH solutions served as the electrolyte. The technological capacity of Cd electrodes dropped in the presence even of small amounts of Ca. It was shown that Ca inhibits cathodic reduction of CdO. On the basis of galvanostatic, potentiostatic and temperature-kinetic studies it was shown that the poisoning of powdered Cd electrode is due to changes in the ionic conductivity of CdO and an increase in the activation energy for the cathodicreduction of CdO. The effective energy of activation for CdO with a calcium admixture is approximately twice greater in comparison with pure cadmium oxide